🚨 Fools – February 23 2026

*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 5:00AM.

Lead: The Gaza “Difference” Is Political Theater

Democrats are claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris “lost significant support because of the Biden administration’s approach to the war in Gaza.” That is one of the dumbest things I’ve heard in a while because the Biden administration’s “stance” on Gaza was the same as the Trump administration’s “stance” on Gaza. Namely, full support of Israel.

President Trump never said that he would stop Israel from its siege on Gaza. He only said that he wanted it “to end,” which is exactly what the Harris/Walz campaign said. Now the former Vice President says that she “should have spoken publicly about our criticism” of how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu executed the war.

Criticism and blank check support are two different things and Americans by now should recognize empty condemnation and campaign rhetoric. She may have wanted to criticize the Prime Minister, but the don’t let the Democrats fool you: they were not going to DO anything about that criticism.

The Trump administration is now having to contend with criticism from several Middle Eastern countries after the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Tucker Carlson that “it would be fine” if Israel took over pretty much the entire region. Arab and Muslim nations sharply condemned these comments over the weekend.

Would a Harris administration have made this gaffe? Probably not but would they actually have stopped Israel from violating the ceasefire, moving settlers into the West Bank, ramping up strikes on Lebanon and Syria? Probably not.

The point is, do not fall for one party pretending that they would have been different in their support of Israel’s forever wars. They wouldn’t have. When it comes to foreign wars, they are united.

Cartel Retaliation After El Mencho Killing

Photo credit: Reuters

Drug cartels in Mexico are unleashing violent retribution after the government killed a notorious cartel boss, Nemesio Oseguera, known as El Mencho. The cartels caused violent havoc across Mexico on Sunday after the loss of one of their leaders.

Schools across Mexico are shuttered today and most businesses are closed.

El Mencho was a powerful drug lord and the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación. But inside parts of Mexico, his reputation was more layered than the American narrative. In many communities, he functioned as a parallel authority, enforcing order, creating employment pipelines, and during COVID lockdowns, distributing aid when the state failed to show up.

The Mexican military launched the operation to eliminate him Sunday, reportedly with U.S. intelligence support. Likely more than support. For years, Washington has armed, trained, and funded Mexican security forces under counter-narcotics partnerships, while American drug demand and U.S.-origin weapons fuel the cartel ecosystem itself.

American policy is woven into both sides of this conflict, and now the destabilization phase is unfolding in real time.

There are circulating reports that cartel elements are considering retaliation beyond Mexico’s borders. If violence were to extend into the United States, the political consequences would be immediate and profound. Is that the point? Is this the excuse the U.S. has been looking for to launch a military operation in Mexico?

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Redacted Featured Video

Redacted will be live today at 4 p.m. Eastern! Over the weekend, we discussed the possibility of an imminent war with Iran. In this video, we break down the buildup, the real risks, and why Trump’s biggest promise, namely, no new Middle East wars, is suddenly on the line.

Trending

Photo credit: Netflix

Gordon Ramsay is trending because his new Netflix show called Being Gordon Ramsay debuted this weekend.

Global Entry is trending because The Transportation Security Administration announced Sunday that the Global Entry program would be shut down as long as the partial government shutdown remains in effect.

The French Alps are trending because it was announced at the Olympic Closing Ceremony that this is where the next Winter Olympics will be held.

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